September Birthstone News: Sapphires at Sotheby’s

Even though my birthstone is pearl (for June), my favorite gemstone is sapphire — the September birthstone. Every year around this time I am reminded of the brilliant pop of color sapphire jewelry brings to typically neutral fall and winter fashions. So, for inspiration, I recently “shopped” the online auction catalogs of upcoming sales at Sotheby’s in New York and Hong Kong. Here are some sapphire jewelry highlights.

Sotheby’s Important Jewels Sale, September 24-25, New York

The Important Jewels Sale at Sotheby’s New York in September includes stunning pieces from the 19th century to the present, from daytime wear to glittering nighttime baubles. There are offerings representing the Victorian and Art Deco periods, and from mid-century as well as contemporary designers.

“Vibrant in color and striking in style, signed jewels by renowned makers such as Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels and Jean Schlumberger highlight the first major sale of the fall auction season,” said a Sotheby’s spokesperson.

Many of these signed pieces are from the collections of Mrs. Estée Lauder, Mrs. Spelman Prentice, former First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower, and the Estate of Dolores Sherwood Bosshard.

Of particular note is the catalog cover-star, a “sapphire and diamond-encrusted stylized bow brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels from 1937” from the Bosshard collection.

According to Sotheby’s, the brooch is “complemented by glittering diamond-set clusters by Harry Winston from the 1960s.”

It is estimated at $60,000 to $80,000.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale, October 7, Hong Kong

Kashmir Sapphire

Leading this autumn sale is the highly important and rare Cowdray Pearl Necklace composed of 42 natural grey pearls of superb quality.

The auction also features an outstanding selection of highly desirable gemstones, diamonds and jadeites, including an exceptional Kashmir sapphire weighing an impressive 27.68 carats.

It is estimated at $6.2 million to $7 million.

About Sotheby’s

Founded in London in 1744(!), Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012).

It is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

Today, Sotheby’s presents auctions in nine different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby’s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world.